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Mike Rohl is in his 12th year as head coach for the Mansfield University men's and women's cross country teams and men's track squad.

Rohl has also coached the Mountaineers women's track team, and he trained Brenae Edwards, the first national champion in Mansfield history after she won the 10-kilometer run at the 2013 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The Mountaineers women's team placed 10th at the event.

In 2011, Rohl coached the women's cross country team to its first national ranking, getting to 22nd in the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association poll. The Mountaineers finished eighth that year at the NCAA Cross Country Championships.

Rohl was a four-time All-American in racewalking while attending the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. He won a USA Track and Field championship and was on nine U.S. national teams.

Rohl competed at U.S. Olympic trials in 1988, 1996 and 2000. He placed fourth at the 1996 and 2000 competitions, missing out on the Summer Games by one spot each time. A serious tendon injury between the 1988 and 1996 tryouts almost ended his career.

His wife, Michelle, represented the United States at the 1992, 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games. She now helps coach the Mansfield track and field and cross country athletes. The Rohls have five children: Molly, Sebastian, Ayla, Gabe and Jude.

Question: How did you end up at Mansfield University?

Answer: In 2001, I was hired by the university to be an assistant coach, working with the pole vaulters and high jumpers. It was part time, from November to May. Michelle and I were still pro athletes, racewalkers. I just planned to train and go to prize-money races while I coached. The plan was six months of training and focus on East Coast races.

Then the head coach left in the first week of September. There was no head coach. (Then-Mansfield athletics director) Roger Maisner said I had a shot at being head coach, that I seemed to know what I was doing. I was hired as head coach on Sept. 11, 2001. I remember the conversation very clearly. I was staying with my brother in Elmira. We had seen the news reports. I drove down after the news reports and we talked about it. At the time, we didn't know if it was an accident.

Q: How did you build up the program?

A: I came in and worked, simply did the job. I talked to people and recruited, built a rapport with people at the university. I forced people to rethink the program and wouldn't take no for an answer. I wanted to make sure it was a good experience for the kids. I came from a program where we had tons of All-Americans, that wouldn't accept the status quo. I found that they will come if you ask them.

Q: What has been your proudest moment at Mansfield?

A: There have been a lot of memorable moments. Winning the (2013 Pennsylvania State Athletic) conference (cross country) championship with the women when I had been told that would never happen here. The night Brenae won the national championship was incredible. (Men's track stars) Chris Cummings and Mike Robinson, they were all incredible.

Q: What events did you compete in during high school and college?

A: I was a racewalker in high school. Who knows why? My coaches helped me get a scholarship to Wisconsin-Parkside. The coaches worked with me there. I have a lot of perseverance. I continued to train and became a four-time All-American. Half the battle is showing up and doing your job every day.

Q: How were you injured?

A: That happened a long time ago. I hurt myself training for a triathlon. I had shortened my hamstring biking when I went back to racewalking, and I shredded a tendon. It took 2½ years of physical therapy to get back to health, to get back to where I was.

Q; Do you still compete?

A: No. I just walk for fitness with the dog, and I do some hiking with the team. I've accomplished everything I wanted to accomplish. Now it's about the kids.

Q: How did you meet your wife?

A: She went to Wisconsin-Parkside a year behind me. She was the cute little 1,500 runner on the team. We just kind of started hanging out.

Q: Are All-Americans and Olympians born, or can they be coached up?

A: A bit of both. Some have really good natural skill. (Former discus and shot put standout) Mike Gray from Horseheads had a lot of physical talent. Some, like Brenae, she was a 5K runner out of high school who barely got scholarship offers. She got better and better.

Q: How much of a difference is there between Division I, Division II and Division III athletes in track and cross country?

A: The problem for track and field is that so many of the Division I schools only put money into basketball or football. The rest of their programs are horrible. We recruit athletes who can compete on a national level. The difference between Division I and Division II is we'll take a walk-on who wants to be good, who has strength of character and is a good kid, I'll let him on my team. Division I schools don't do that. I want my kids to go to nationals. I've had many kids who could have gone Division I: Charity Learn, Chris Cummings, Mike Gray. They were either overlooked or wanted to be at Division II to be developed more. When it comes to recruiting, I try to remember they're someone else's children. There is no magic formula. I try to do the best job I can for them.

Q; What is the toughest part of racewalking?

A: The social aspect of it, to explain that you're a racewalker with a straight face. The reason athletes do well in certain sports is that they're built for it. It you're built for it, it's not difficult at all. Like making free throws. It's easy for some but not for me. Racewalking isn't accepted by distance runners, racewalkers are picked on by distance runners. The runners were picked on by football and baseball players. I worked hard at racewalking. I'm the kind of person who doesn't care what other people think. Some people quit the sport because they can't handle the teasing.

The future of competitive racewalking is in a unique way. The problem is that it is not contested at the high school level. In high school, I got to compete in racewalking, it produced racewalkers who went to college. Now they can barely fill national teams, there are those with no exposure at the college level. Getting kids to overcome the social stigma is the hard part. In society, they talk about not being bullies. But in track and field, there are people who are bullied. That's why in my program, regardless of ability, so one is under-appreciated. We have some kids here who racewalk just to keep themselves healthy. We have a girl who racewalks here who is admired for her hard work and ability.